


A Touch of Magic

by Alaena_F_Dragonstar



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy, M/M, Magic, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-04-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:03:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3484136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alaena_F_Dragonstar/pseuds/Alaena_F_Dragonstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When he’d fallen into the river, Kaito hadn’t expected ever to open his eyes again, but Fate has seen fit to give him a second chance in the form of a quiet village and a kind-hearted stranger with a house full of memories. KaitoxShinichi</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. From the River

**Author's Note:**

> Rating: T
> 
> Genre: Romance/Fantasy
> 
> Pairing: KaiShin [KaitoxShinichi]

## A Touch of Magic

#### By Alaena F.D.

* * *

####  _1: From the River_

It wasn't that Kaito hadn't expected the challenge. In the ten years he'd been living with the Nakamori family and their apprentices, he had noticed how the blonde always looked angry when he saw Kaito talking and laughing with the Nakamoris' only daughter. It had been going on for almost the entire ten years after all. It would have taken a monumentally oblivious person not to realize that the blonde liked the girl. And Kaito was anything but oblivious. It was just that he had never thought the blonde's jealousy could lead him to do something like this.

When the challenge came he'd expected the usual contest of spells. It wasn't as though it hadn't happened before. Hakuba Saguru was always trying to outdo him. Not that he ever came close. He was fairly skilled as sorcerers went, but he didn't have the imagination, power, or natural talent that Kaito had been born with. It had amused Kaito to watch him try, and he'd tried to give the blonde advice on a few occasions, but it only ever seemed to fan the flames.

He'd thought today would be like one of those days. They would meet out in the forest where Nakamori Ginzo (and his daughter) couldn't see them, maybe with one or two of their fellow students as audience, and duel. He'd win, Hakuba would vow to defeat him next time, and they would go their separate ways.

Instead he had arrived to find that Hakuba had snuck one of the Nakamoris' secret artifacts out of the house—one of the artifacts that were never supposed to be used because the reason they had been collected and locked away in the first place was because they were too dangerous. Because they couldn't be controlled.

This artifact in particular released a beast made entirely of crackling, blue white energy whose bloodlust was clear in its soulless eyes. It had attacked him without being commanded, tearing right through the shield he erected as though it was nothing more durable than paper. He would never forget the terrible pain that shot through him as it tore at him with teeth and claws no weapon of wood or steel could have deflected. He would also never forget the shocked look on Hakuba's face.

When he tripped and fell into the river, he was almost relieved. Running water had a tendency to destroy spell structure, and despite its power the blue white beast was still a magical construct. Its body fizzled and dissolved as it tried to follow him into the river. And as the waters closed over him along with the darkness of unconsciousness he wondered how it had all gotten so out of hand.

Well, at least he'd be seeing his parents soon.

X

Honestly, he hadn't expected to wake up again. Gaping wounds and running water didn't mix well after all. But there was no denying that he was awake now and the ache of every muscle he owned was telling him he was very much alive.

Forcing his eyes open, he found himself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. So he wasn't at home. Where was he then? It took some negotiating but he managed to turn his head to the side and look around the rather small room. It was very simply furnished but clean and utterly unfamiliar.

He was debating whether to get up and go look for whoever it was that this place belonged to and ask them where he was when he was saved the trouble by the opening of the door.

The boy who walked in looked to be about his own age, maybe a year younger, with neat, black hair and eyes a brilliant shade of blue. Surprise flashed across his face when he noticed Kaito watching him before his expression broke out into a relieved smile.

"You're awake, that's good," he said, stepping to the room's small table where a pitcher of water and several cups stood. Filling one of these, he brought it over. "I was starting to wonder if I needed to call the doctor again. Here, you should drink something. Can you sit up?"

Deciding that his mouth and throat were too dry to attempt speaking with, Kaito simply nodded. It took a few moments but he eventually managed to get his limbs to cooperate with each other and levered himself into a sitting position. Offering the stranger a grateful look as he handed him the cup, he downed the entire thing in a few long gulps. It took another five cups for his throat to stop feeling like his own, personal desert.

"You should probably eat something too," the stranger continued. "You've been out for four days."

Four days! That was a rather long time. No wonder he felt awful. Then again, awful was better than dead.

"Where is this?" he rasped, grimacing slightly at the sound of his own voice.

"Sorgan," the stranger replied, naming a small village some distance downriver from where he should have fallen in. "This is my house. My name is Shinichi, Kudo Shinichi."

Bullying his facial muscles into forming something that hopefully resembled a smile rather than the horrible grimace he suspected it wanted to become, Kaito nodded. "Kuroba Kaito, just call me Kaito. I'm sorry for intruding."

"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault anyway." He paused for a moment. "Unless you mean to say it _was_ your fault."

Kaito laughed but stopped quickly when his throat complained. "I assure you it was an accident. I have no intention of dying any time soon. There are still too many things in the world to do."

"That's good to hear." Shinichi pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and put the water pitcher on it so that it was within easy reach for his houseguest. "Wait here. I'll go get you something to eat."

"Wait!" Kaito called out hurriedly before the other could leave the room. "When you found me, you didn't happen to also find a monocle, did you?"

Shinichi nodded and Kaito felt a surge of relief. "It's in the desk drawer, but…"

His heart sank. "But what?"

Instead of speaking, the other opened the aforementioned drawer and picked something up from inside. Holding it gingerly, he returned to the bedside and handed it to the occupant.

Kaito turned the eyepiece over in his hands, noting the long, white crack that now ran down the middle of the lens. Seeing it sent a pang through his chest, but at least no pieces had fallen out. He let out a quiet sigh and set it on the chair beside the water pitcher.

"That's all right. It's nothing I can't fix."

"All right. I'll go see about that food then."

Kaito watched his host disappear from the room before lying back down with a quiet breath. Four whole days…

X

For as far back as he could remember—which was pretty dratted far considering his good memory—Kaito had never been a sitting-down kind of person. He liked to be active. _"It's always better to be doing,"_ he remembered telling Aoko once. _"After all, life's only so long. When my time comes, I don't want to think back and realize there's something I missed just because I decided to sit on my hands for a day."_

However, he wasn't stupid and he knew that invalids needed their rest if they ever wanted to be healthy. Still, it was driving him up the wall to have to lie around and do nothing all day. The only times he wasn't bored out of his mind was when he was asleep, eating, or talking to his host. The problem there of course being that he was getting sick of sleeping, he could only eat so much, and he couldn't reasonably demand that Shinichi spend all hours talking to him. His saving grace came in the form of his host's small collection of books (apparently Shinichi's father had been a writer), but he was a fast reader and by the fifth day of being awake he had already finished reading everything that could be read in the house including the three dozen pages of scribbled notes on various ways to prepare different dishes that served as Shinichi's cookbook (written for him by some girl called Ran). And now he was back to square one, except that he was now able to totter stiffly about the little house.

"If you over strain yourself you're just going to end up bedridden longer," Shinichi had warned him.

"I'll be careful," Kaito insisted. "Besides, if I have to spend one more day just staring at the ceiling and counting dust motes I know I'm going to lose my mind. And trust me, you don't want to see that."

"Well, on your head be it."

"I know, I know, and then you can tell me 'I told you so' as many times as you want. Sound fair?"

Shinichi had given him a dour look that made Kaito want to laugh (though he was trying to keep the laughing out loud to a minimum until his side didn't burn at the mere thought of laughing) before heading out to run his afternoon errands. Apparently Shinichi spent most of his afternoons running errands and doing odd jobs for people around Sorgan in order to make a living. His mornings were spent tending to the house's little vegetable garden.

It wasn't until he'd gotten up early one morning about a week after first waking that Kaito discovered that his host was actually a painter. Shinichi never said anything about it, but every morning after he'd finished tending the vegetable garden he would spend about an hour painting in the front yard. He always set up his equipment so that he was facing the river and from what Kaito had observed the river was the only thing he ever painted.

He wondered about that, but since Shinichi had never even mentioned that he painted Kaito decided to keep the question to himself. He'd always had good instincts, and they were telling him that this was something personal. Besides, overly nosy guests tended to get kicked out.

Still, he kind of liked watching Shinichi paint. So each morning since his discovery he would listen for the sound of Shinichi coming back in from the garden to get his tools. Once the painter went back outside, he would get up and make his way to the chair by the window that looked out into the front yard where he'd spend the next hour watching his host paint the river.

X

At the end of his second week, the peaceful routine they had developed was interrupted when a tall young man with chestnut brown hair came wandering into the yard like he owned the place. It was the first person that Kaito had seen visit the house and he watched with curious eyes as the stranger glanced around the yard. Shinichi had looked up from his painting at the stranger's arrival, a slight frown flitting across his face at the sight of the newcomer.

"Why are you here?"

"I heard you got yourself a houseguest," the newcomer remarked, wandering across the yard to where Shinichi had already gone back to working. "I thought I'd come by and say hello. Make sure he's not going to cause trouble."

Shinichi snorted at that, obviously unimpressed by the answer. "An injured man isn't going to cause trouble."

"Really? Well, if you're sure, but just remember, you'll be responsible if he does start anything since it was you who brought him here."

"I know," Shinichi said shortly, picking up a different brush.

"Still painting?" the man drawled, derision dripping from every syllable.

"Yes," Shinichi replied, not bothering to look at him.

Green eyes cast an uninterested glance at the canvas before returning to their observation of the painter. "And still the river, I see. I don't see why you bother. It's not like you're ever going to be able to make any money with this rubbish."

"That is my decision to make."

"Still as stubborn as ever, I see," the other laughed. It was a rather nasty sounding laugh. "Tell you what, I could hire you as a servant. Then you'd at least have a steady income."

"No."

"Well, if you get tired of being nobody, just come see me." Still laughing, the man finally took his leave.

When he was gone Shinichi let out a breath that might have been a sigh of relief and set about cleaning up his tools. Once that was done, he picked up the basket of vegetables he'd collected earlier and headed inside to start preparing lunch.

"Rather unpleasant acquaintance you've got there," Kaito remarked, looking away from the window and moving to take a seat at the table. "I hope he doesn't come here often."

Shinichi glanced at him in surprise before shrugging. "Only when he's bored. I didn't realize you were awake. I'm…sorry you had to hear that."

"That's hardly your fault." Kaito paused for a moment, watching Shinichi begin to clean the vegetables he'd brought in. "Why did you let him talk to you like that?"

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Toma's a jerk, that's just the way he is, no amount of complaining from anyone's ever going to change that. That and he's Lord Nokota's favorite son," he added, voice growing much quieter. "They own most of the land around this village and several of the others nearby. This house became theirs when my parents were killed. I was supposed to leave, but my friend Ran's mother is a highly respected sorceress and she talked them into letting me stay. But they can still kick me out if they change their minds."

"Your parents…were killed?" Kaito asked slowly, wondering if he'd heard that right. Of course he'd wondered why Shinichi lived alone, but he'd always assumed he'd just moved out of his parents' house.

Shinichi paused for a moment in what he was doing as though just realizing what he'd said. Then he went back to work, eyes fixed on his hands. "Because of the feud with the Osei clans six years ago."

"I remember that," the magician noted, recalling how Uncle Ginzo had spent days ranting about how stupid the whole thing was. Something about 'all that fuss over three damn lakes'. "Were they part of the fighting?"

Shinichi shook his head. "They—they were executed as spies. They said that my father's writings contained information for the enemy. It didn't help that they were against the fighting and did a lot of traveling in the borderlands advocating it."

"I see." Sensing that it was probably time to change the subject (and frankly feeling slightly sick to his stomach at the story), Kaito gestured towards the assorted vegetables set out on the table. "So is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't know. What do you know about cooking?"

"Nothing at all. Well, except that I was told never to try it again—but I can chop things up or something."

Shinichi cast him a look with raised eyebrows before shaking his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Why don't you just let me know when the water in the pot starts to bubble?"

"If you'd like I could make it boil right now," he offered. "Magic like that is pretty basic. I won't even have to get up."

"I'm sure you can, but then I wouldn't have time to finish preparing everything else."

"I suppose that's true." Kaito heaved an exaggerated sigh and propped his chin up on his right palm. "Ah the cruelties of fate. I have been reduced to watching water boil."


	2. Magic

## A Touch of Magic

#### By Alaena F.D.

* * *

####  _2: Magic_

There were times when he couldn't help but look back. He was human after all, it was only natural, but he'd always felt that though it was important to remember the past it was far more important to look forward.

After everything that had happened though he felt it was probably a good time for some self examination.

When he'd first woken up he'd assumed that once he was able he'd head back to the Nakamoris', give the blond fool responsible for this mess a piece of his mind, straighten everything out, and go back to life as it had been. As it should be. Yet the longer he stayed here the more he felt that he didn't really care if he ever saw home again. It had only ever been home because it was where he lived after all. Not that he hadn't had fun there. He liked the Nakamoris. But ever since his mother had passed away the place had started to feel a bit confining. He'd learned everything he could from there years ago (not to be arrogant or anything, but it was true, even Uncle Ginzo had admitted it) and life around the place was far too structured for his liking. He still wanted to give Hakuba a piece of his mind, but, well, in the end it wasn't really all that important.

What _was_ important was that a new feeling had been growing in his chest for the last few months. He couldn't put a name to it yet, but it was warm and bright and it seemed as though he could suddenly see a lot more possibilities in the world than he had before without the Nakamori school and its expectations hanging over him.

There was a choice here, he could feel it, but for now he was content to wait and see where the wind would take him.

X

It was on a slightly drizzly evening that a girl with long, brown hair came knocking at their door. Shinichi answered it and smiled in some surprise at the sight of her.

"What are you doing here in this weather? There's a storm coming in."

"This shouldn't take long. I just came to ask you something," the girl explained, waving away his concern. "You see, Sonoko, Eisuke, and I want to make a parade entry for the midsummer festival coming up in a few months. We were wondering if you could help us. I mean, we'd be representing all of Sorgan so we want it to be perfect."

"Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about the midsummer festival?"

"We wanted to collect suggestions and brainstorm before deciding what to make. And you know Sonoko. Eisuke and I wanted to make sure we gave her enough time to change her mind a few times before we start the final project."

Shinichi snorted. "That makes sense. Well, I don't know how much help I'd be but I could try. Just let me know what you'd like me to do."

The brunette beamed. "That's great."

"It certainly does sound fun," Kaito commented. "If you need more hands, mine are free."

The girl turned at the sound of his voice and blinked in surprise. "Who're you?"

Grinning, he swept her a deep bow (and, surprisingly, didn't have to mask a wince at the exaggerated motion. About time!). "Kuroba Kaito, at your service. Might I know to whom I am speaking?"

She gave him a slightly bemused look before laughing and inclining her head in return. "My name is Mouri Ran. So you're the one Shinichi pulled out of the river. I take it then that you're feeling better?"

"Very much so, thanks to my lovely host," he added, watching Shinichi out of the corner of his eyes. He was rewarded by the red tint that surfaced on the painter's face even as he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"You shouldn't say things like that," he informed the still grinning magician. "It's strange."

"Hey, I'm just being honest. Can I not express my gratitude?"

The painter gave him a deadpan look and turned back to Ran. "So when exactly do you think we'll start working?"

"Probably not for a while but it would be nice to get some feedback on the suggestions we get. So you'll both help? Great. Well, I'd better run before the rain gets much harder. Have a nice evening." Waving, she turned and ran out of the yard.

"She seems like a nice girl," Kaito remarked as Shinichi shut the door and they retreated back to the dining table where he had been helping Shinichi sort through old clothes, picking out the pieces that really weren't fit for anything but use as cleaning rags and setting aside anything that might need mending. Personally, Kaito would have opted to throw the whole drab lot out and he'd offered to conjure some new clothes for his host like he'd done for himself, but Shinichi had refused (Kaito had found that his host didn't seem comfortable with being given things, though he apparently didn't need to think twice about giving them away).

"She is," Shinichi replied, glancing back towards the front window and the gray skies beyond. "We grew up together. She wrote those cooking instructions you saw."

"Ah, no wonder the name sounded familiar. She was the one whose mother was a sorceress, yes?"

The painter nodded. "She wanted Ran to study with her, but Ran's decided she'd rather improve her cooking skills and open her own restaurant—maybe in one of the larger towns near here like Beika."

"Beika huh? I think I've been there before."

"Most people in the villages around here came from or are related to people who came from Beika. Lately a lot of the younger villagers have started going back to learn new trades or start their own businesses."

"Makes sense," Kaito mused. From what he remembered Beika was a rather prosperous town. "What about you?"

He was answered by a puzzled look. "What about me?"

"Any plans for moving?"

"Not unless I have to." Blue eyes flickered again to the window, taking on a slightly distant look. "I like it here. It's…where all the memories are."

X

The storm that night was fierce. The howl of the wind made the window panes rattle in their frames and the heavy pounding of the rain sounded like a hundred beating drums. Every few seconds lightning burned across the sky and the roar of thunder would temporarily eclipse all other sounds of the storm.

Letting out his breath in a slightly annoyed huff, Kaito flicked his fingers and set colored lights dancing across the ceiling. A gesture had them spinning and forming patterns before dispersing to bounce from the walls, ceiling, and floor like excited little will-o-wisps.

His keen ears caught the sound of movement from the next room. Well, that was no surprise. No one could sleep through this din. Sitting up, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and padded outside.

A single lantern had been lit and set on the floor in the middle of the house's main room between the dining table and the front window. Shinichi was sitting beside it, arms wrapped around his knees, watching the storm as it raged outside. It was a rather odd sight.

Curious, Kaito wandered over and sat down beside him. Shinichi started at his arrival, having only just realized he wasn't alone anymore.

"Sightseeing?"

Shinichi gave him a blank look. "What?"

Chuckling, he waved at the window. "The storm."

"Oh. I guess you could call it that." He glanced down and Kaito noticed that there was a pad of paper lying on the floor in front of him. On it a piece of the roiling, gray sky lay splashed in black ink cracked by thin, white streaks of lightning.

"Wow." He leaned in for a closer look. "I thought you only draw the river."

"I never said that."

He quirked an eyebrow at that. "No, but you kind of didn't have to."

Shinichi let out a quiet laugh of his own before going back to his work. "I guess not." They sat in silence for a moment before he spoke again. "I guess it was more of a challenge than anything else. My father said that if you can catch all the light in the river—not just the lights on the surface but the little lights down below and the ghosts below that—then you might be able to understand what reality is."

"Sounds like an interesting venture."

"Do you think so? Sometimes I think even I find it a bit stupid, but I can't seem to stop trying, even if I can't show him anymore. Strange huh."

"No, not really. I think I can understand that." Letting his own indigo gaze wander back to the window, Kaito noticed for the first time how the water clinging to the glass seemed to be gilded gold on the edges by the lamplight.

Where all the memories were, he thought. It certainly felt true, sitting here in the dark with only the feeble light of one lantern and the blinding but brief light of the lightning to see by. He could almost feel the days long past stirring in the shadows, but they were old. And he wondered if perhaps Shinichi wasn't so much holding them as clinging to them.

X

The dining table had become something of a center of activity for the painter and his guest over the last three months. Kaito spent much of his first few weeks of mobility sitting at it, watching Shinichi going about his household chores. Even after he could move freely again he found himself doing the same, though now he would lend a hand where he could. It was where they ate all their meals and did most of their talking.

Seated again at said table after lunch today, Kaito sat back and held his monocle up to the light coming in through the open windows. He'd spent the last three days carefully mending the glass and the weave of the magic laced through it, and now it gleamed flawlessly back at him, looking for all the world like it was brand new.

Seated across the table, Shinichi watched him with growing curiosity. "It's really important to you, isn't it?"

"It was my father's," he explained, turning the eyepiece over in his hands before holding it up in front of his right eye with a grin. "But it's not just that. This nifty little thing has the power to let me see auras."

"I take it that's supposed to be useful."

"Yep. Wanna try it?"

A beat of silence. "What?"

"Do you want to try it?"

"But I'm not a sorcerer," Shinichi pointed out.

"I can activate it for you." Without waiting for an answer, Kaito bounded to his feet and stepped around the table to stand beside Shinichi's chair. The painter jerked his head up to look at him (looking kind of like a frightened animal, he thought), and he took the opportunity to slide the glass lens over one, blue eye. "It might be a bit disorienting at first. If you get dizzy, just close your eyes and count to ten."

Shinichi did just that, counting to a very slow ten before opening just the eye behind the glass. He blinked slowly, jaw going slack. For a long moment he just sat there, staring at the world through the glass, breathing slow and careful as though afraid he might disturb something.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Kaito asked finally, breaking the silence.

Shinichi remained still for another second before closing his eyes and reaching up to remove the monocle and hand it back to its owner. "It's… I never realized the world was so—so bright. All that shifting light and color… And you say you wear that when you're practicing your magic? I was getting confused just sitting still!"

The other laughed, flipping the lens up over his own eye and winking at the younger teen. "You get used to it. It takes time, but believe me, it's worth it. Auras can tell you a lot about a person without them ever having to open their mouths. For example, I can tell that you have never even attempted to practice magic. That's pretty strange these days," he added as an afterthought. "Most people try at least once."

"I guess I've never had much interest in magic," Shinichi admitted. "I don't have a gift for it anyway, and most of the sorcerers I know are—" He cut himself off, looking suddenly embarrassed.

"Bad experiences?" Kaito guessed.

"It's nothing personal or anything," the painter said hastily, "it's just that most sorcerers I've met or heard about tend to be… How should I put this…"

"Stuck up? Overbearing? Think they're entitled to everything?"

Shinichi blinked at him, mouth opening and closing but no sounds coming out.

Kaito laughed. "I've seen the type. They give us all a bad name, but sadly they tend to be the ones that stick in people's minds. What can I say? We're not all bad though."

The other looked down, obviously still embarrassed. "I know. I didn't mean to imply that you were… I—uh, you're nothing like that a—and—I was just—"

"It's all right, really," Kaito cut in, hiding the grin that wanted to surface at the mortified panic he could just see spreading across his host's features. "I'm not offended or anything. Practitioners come in just as many shapes and sizes as the rest of the human race after all. I've met plenty I can't find a good word for myself."

"Power gets to people sometimes," he added, his face and voice growing serious. "My father always told me that the purpose of magic is to give people joy—to protect life and bring light, but not everyone sees it that way."

Shinichi nodded slowly, his own expression growing thoughtful. "It would be nice though, if everyone thought like that."

"More and more people are starting to actually, but it'll take time," Kaito replied. "By the way, I'm not a sorcerer. I'm a magician."

"I didn't realize there was a difference."

"I suppose it would be more accurate to say that magicians are a type of sorcerer. Where sorcerers can rely only on their own powers when casting spells, we can draw upon outside powers if we need to. We can also conjure things that last," he added, snapping his fingers and producing a white rose from thin air. "I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say sorcerers can't."

"What you're basically saying is that you're at a higher level."

Kaito could feel his own grin widening as he laughed. "That's right." Glancing down at the flower he'd created, he thought for a moment then offered it to Shinichi.

The other blinked as he took the bloom automatically, noting absently that it didn't have any thorns though it otherwise felt just like a normal, living rose. "Why are you giving this to me?"

The magician's expression grew serious. "I just realized I never properly thanked you for saving my life."

"You don't have to. Besides, I didn't really do anything. It was the doctor who treated your injuries. You can thank him when he comes by to check on your recovery."

"But you watched over me while I was unconscious and you're letting me stay here in your house now." Indigo eyes caught bright blue ones and held them in a steady gaze. "Thank you."

Shinichi gazed back at him for a moment then looked away, a fain, embarrassed flush creeping onto his face. "Really, it wasn't any trouble or anything. Anyone would have done the same." He paused, glancing again at the rose. "Um, so…what am I supposed to do with it?"

The magician hid a smile. "Putting it in some water would probably be a good start. Flowers tend to like that."


	3. Past and Present

## A Touch of Magic

#### By Alaena F.D.

* * *

####  _3: Past and Present_

"So you guys have decided to make a sort of a—a moving water spout plus garden on wheels?" Shinichi asked, incredulity clear in every syllable that left his mouth.

"It's not a water spout, it's a fountain!" the short-haired girl standing beside Ran erupted, brandishing the rolled up plan in his face like it was a weapon. "And it's going to sit in its own bed of blossoms. It'll be the most stunning thing anyone at the festival has ever seen. And that's final!"

"But a working, _stone_ fountain on wheels?" the painter persisted, frowning. "We've only got two months."

"Your friend over there's a sorcerer isn't he?" the girl retorted, drawing herself up. "If he's any good he should be able to help us finish everything on time."

"Actually, I'm a magician," Kaito interjected, bounding over from where he'd been examining the raw materials being piled up to the side of the village plaza-turned-construction site. "And you're not going to find anyone with my skills within a hundred miles of here."

"You're confident," the girl noted, turning her attention to him. "Question is, if you're just blowing hot air or if you can back it up."

"Sonoko!" Ran hissed, casting Kaito an apologetic look. "You don't have to be so rude."

"But we can't let just anyone help us build this fountain if we want to win. No magic is better than shoddy magic."

" _Shoddy_?" Kaito repeated, and Shinichi could just see the offended incredulity rising in him at the insinuation against his skills. "My lady, I assure you, my work is anything but shoddy."

"You say that, but we've only got your word for it."

"Well, if you insist," he drawled.

Sonoko blinked, obviously confused, but before she could say anything the ground around the four of them suddenly shifted and rose skyward—a perfect circle of ground just peeling away like an earth-patterned carpet. Sonoko cried out in surprise and latched onto Ran who let out her own gasp as she bent her knees to keep her balance. Shinichi stumbled at the sudden movement and nearly tripped over the edge of the rapidly rising circle of earth but Kaito grabbed his arm and pulled him back onto safer footing. Then all four of them were racing off across the village, trailing started yells and awed laughter all through the streets below.

By the time they finally touched back down in the plaza the number of people there had tripled and everyone was clapping, obviously thinking it some kind of show. In response, explosions of colorful lights burst across the sky like fireworks as the circle of earth melted back into the ground. Each light became a butterfly as it neared the heads of the crowd and they swirled together before disappearing completely. Cheers went up and Kaito took a bow, grinning fit to split his face in half.

Then he turned to Sonoko, grin turning into something more like a smug smirk. "Still think I'm no good?"

She opened her mouth, but no words came out and she shut it again, face turning bright red.

"Did you really have to do all that?" Shinichi asked later as everyone dispersed for the evening.

"Of course."

Shinichi gave him a flat look. "Right."

Laughing, the magician slung an arm over his shoulder and started steering them back to the house by the river. "Come on, it was a challenge. I couldn't well walk away from it. Besides, I haven't had a chance to really exercise my skills for ages now. I don't want to get rusty."

The painter sighed. "Just—warn me next time before you pull a stunt like that."

Kaito made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat and changed the subject. No point making promises he didn't intend to keep.

X

Construction began with a flurry of arguments and several torn pages of plans before anyone even picked up a hammer. When construction did finally start it was only because they all knew any further delays would equal an unfinished project on festival day.

"Is it always like this?" Kaito asked Shinichi as he and the painter went to fetch the tool boxes the village carpenter had agreed to let them use.

"Pretty much. Last year Sonoko put together this weird dance routine. In the end no one in the village could learn it in time so she had to drop the idea."

"A dance routine huh? So these entries aren't all decoration based?"

"Nope."

"What exactly is this parade contest anyway?"

"It's a tradition for the Beika midsummer festival. Instead of the town organizing a parade, people form teams and build their own entries for the parade. Your team signs up on the morning of the festival, they give you a position, and you just become part of the parade. At the end everyone casts votes for which entry they thought was the best and the winners get a prize. Your entry can be anything that can be moved down the street. You can do a performance, build an exhibit like this fountain thing Sonoko wants, sing or play an instrument—anything you can think of really."

"Sure sounds interesting," the magician mused, trying to imagine what that would be like. "I like the sound of it already."

"Do you mean you've never done this before?" Shinichi asked, surprised. "I know the Beika festival isn't the only one that's started having these events."

The magician shrugged. "When you live in a school for sorcerers you're much more likely to end up going to a practitioners' convention than a town festival. As you can probably imagine, games and competitions at those tend to be of a somewhat different nature."

"A practitioners' convention?" the painter repeated. "I didn't know they had things like that."

"Really? There's a pretty big one that happens annually only about a five day journey by horseback from here. We should go some time. There's an entire pavilion dedicated to the demonstration of new spells that's always fun, though you need to be quick with a shield just in case someone hasn't quite mastered their work yet. Last year someone burned the whole pavilion to the ground."

"Sounds dangerous," the painter observed.

"Maybe a little," Kaito admitted, chuckling. "I've always liked the performances the best though. There are some practitioners who've dedicated themselves to entertainment magic and some of them come up with some pretty interesting things."

"Is that what you plan to do then?"

"I've thought about it," Kaito replied, adjusting the tool boxes in his arms for a better grip. "But I haven't really made up my mind yet. I don't think I want to lock myself into one path just yet. Never will if I can help it."

"Good luck then, but you know, no one can do everything."

"No, but nothing stops you from trying everything before you make up your mind."

Shinichi laughed at that. "I guess not."

Watching him out of the corner of his eye, Kaito smiled. Shinichi didn't laugh very often and the magician savored the moments when he could make him do so. Making people laugh had always been something he enjoyed, but more and more he was coming to think that this was different.

Shinichi could be a little distant at times, and had a rather blunt manner of speaking that Kaito had a feeling probably didn't make him many friends, but behind that the magician had found a kind and caring soul. Maybe a little wary, a little awkward, a little lonely, but bright and warm all the same. It was in the little things, like how he always made sure to put the sharp tools out of casual reach of the kids who wanted to help. The painter had spent an entire day carefully sanding away all the splinter infested rough spots on the wheeled frame upon which the fountain would be mounted despite the fact that none of the framework would be visible on the end product. For someone who didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about the project, he was putting in a lot of effort—not just helping with the building but looking over and fixing the calculations on the plans to make sure their final product didn't fall apart on exhibition day. It really was rather funny in its own way but it was just another of the quirks that Kaito found endearing.

This place and these people… He really was beginning to like it here.

X

"Oh it's perfect!" Sonoko declared, hands clasped before her as her eyes shone with a combination of joy, pride, and glee. "We're going to win for sure!"

It was the day before the festival and the Sorgan parade project had only just been completed. It had, surprisingly, turned out exactly how they had wanted, though a few extra touches courtesy of Kaito meant that not only did their fountain spout water but the water spouts danced and wove glittering patterns before falling into the basin (which, apparently, was not an easy feat, since—according to the man himself—it took a lot of care to deal with water lest it simply wash away the weave of your spell. "Can't do that with a river," he'd said with an odd look in his eyes that Shinichi couldn't name).

Everyone gathered in the plaza cheered.

"Just remember everyone, we have to get it to town by noon tomorrow and register for the contest!" Ran called out before the crowd dispersed. The air hummed with contented chatter.

The following morning over half the village population piled into six horse-drawn wagons and headed for Beika followed by the moving fountain and the pair of black and white horses who had been chosen to pull it. The fountain itself had been charmed to be light and it rolled over the ground effortlessly, its equine escorts barely having to exert any real force. Kaito hadn't been pleased to see that the lord's son had decided to join in on the venture, but the teen was in a different cart and too busy being a nuisance over there to notice them.

When they pulled up in an open field alongside of a lot of other wagons, everyone disembarked and split into smaller groups to go their separate ways. Though not before Sonoko had reminded them all to be sure to watch the parade and vote for her entry.

"I thought it was everyone's entry," Kaito remarked as he and Shinichi made their way into town. Shinichi just shook his head.

"Was there anything in particular you wanted to see?" he asked.

"Nope, though I'd love to know where that couple over there got those buns with the little colored-icing pictures drawn on top."

"That would be the Brush & Flour Bakery. They made a name for themselves by making foods that look like works of art. They always have special deals going on festival days."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

They spent the rest of the morning wandering through the buzzing Beika streets, munching on pastries from the aforementioned bakery which tasted just as good as they looked. It seemed as though everyone in the town and then some were out today. Vendors cried for attention along every street and vividly dressed people, young and old, filled the air with the murmur of happy conversation and the ring of laughter. Several musicians had set themselves up on makeshift stages to add their music to the chaos. They were on their way to the town square where an entire area had been set aside just for games when they stopped in an art supplies store for Shinichi to take a quick look around. He needed to replace some of his older brushes and this particular shop had a unique and broad collection.

"Can you actually afford to buy that?" an unpleasantly familiar voice asked snidely.

Shinichi went on browsing through brushes as though he hadn't heard anything but Kaito turned from where he'd been examining a wrack of unusually colored inks and shot the newcomer an irritated look. "Seriously, what is your problem?"

Nokota Toma returned his glare with an uninterested glance. "And you are?"

"Recommending that you keep your mouth shut before someone decides to shut it for you."

Toma's jaw dropped and it seemed to Kaito like the other's eyes were going to fall out of his head if he opened them any wider. "Are you _threatening_ me?" he demanded, incredulity highlighting every syllable.

"I wouldn't call it that," Kaito drawled, rather enjoying the stricken look on the lordling's face. "I'm sure lots of people think it all the time. Thought you might want the heads up."

"How dare you speak to me like this! Do you have any idea who I am?"

"You know, I've always wondered why people like you always resort to questions like that. Can't you come up with anything better? I mean really, you hear 'em once and you've heard 'em all." He shook his head in mock disappointment, watching as the man's face grew redder by the second. He would have said more but a hand tugged insistently on his arm. He glanced around to see Shinichi frowning at him.

"Let's go," the painter said once he knew he had Kaito's attention. "I've got everything I need."

"Hold it right there Kudo!" Toma snarled suddenly, taking a step in their direction. "You two aren't leaving until your _friend_ here apologizes to me!"

"Hope you brought a chair then," the magician said airily.

Ignoring them both, Shinichi dragged the magician out the door before either could get another word in.

"Honestly, he'd have left if we ignored him," he scolded the moment the door had swung shut behind them. "Do you make a habit of poking lions in the eye?"

"Lion? What lion? All I saw was a puffed up housecat."

"Housecats have claws too."

Kaito laughed. "You have a counter for everything, don't you?"

Shinichi blinked at him then snorted. "Look who's talking."

The magician grinned. "Let's just forget about this and get to those games before all the prizes are gone."

X

It was mid afternoon and everyone was gravitating towards the largest street in Beika. It ran all the way through the town and would be the path which the parade would be taking. Kaito and Shinichi were searching for a spot with a good view from which to watch when the magician stiffened suddenly. His companion looked up at him questioningly only to let out a yelp of surprise as he was yanked into the nearest alley mouth. Before he could say anything a hand clamped over his mouth and Kaito shook his head. Indigo eyes returned to the street they had just vacated and Shinichi followed their gaze.

He frowned in confusion. All he saw were the festival goers walking past in both directions. Then he noticed a tall, blond boy walking with a girl with wild, brown hair. They stood out from the rest of the crowd because their clothes were of a higher quality than almost everyone else's.

"—gone on long enough, Miss Aoko," the blonde was saying, voice quiet but a touch pleading. "Everyone is worried about you."

"I know," the girl sighed, "it's just…hard to be cheerful when…" She trailed off and both were swallowed by the crowd before their observers could hear any more of the conversation.

Once they were out of sight, Kaito let out a quiet breath and let go of Shinichi.

"What was that all about?" the painter asked in confusion, straightening out his clothes.

"I know them," the magician replied shortly, his expression unreadable. He didn't say any more and Shinichi didn't ask, but he couldn't help but notice his companion's mood take a turn for the worse after that. He didn't really act any differently—still laughed and joked and even joined in the cheering when they saw Sorgan's flowery fountain come trundling down the street, but to Shinichi it seemed as though there wasn't anything behind the laughter anymore. Like it was all a very well crafted mask. He didn't like the feeling. It was almost a relief when the festival was over and they all clambered back onto the wagons and headed for home.

X

Shortly after dinner Kaito excused himself and went outside to sit on the riverbank. Time crawled. The sky had long since turned dark and the moon was high in the sky and he had still to make a move to come back indoors. Shinichi had let him be at first, feeling that it wasn't his place to pry, but he didn't like seeing Kaito like this. Eventually, he made up his mind and went to join the magician on the bank.

Kaito looked up at his approach and smiled but he returned to his contemplation of the river without saying anything. Shinichi shared in his silence for a few minutes, carefully piecing together things he could say before finally settling on an option.

"You…never told me what happened," he said hesitantly. "Not that you have to or anything," he added hurriedly before falling silent.

The minutes dragged by in silence as he struggled to find the right words and he was just beginning to wish he had kept his mouth shut when the magician finally began to speak.

"I guess it started when my father died." Leaning back on his hands, Kaito tilted his head back so that he could look up at the night sky. "I was only eight and my mom was ill so my father's friend, Nakamori Ginzo, took us in. He and Dad spent years tracking down and collecting artifacts, mostly to study them, but also to keep them out of the wrong hands. Dad got killed when one of the unstable ones blew up. Anyway, we lived with the Nakamoris after that, but Mom passed away from her illness three years ago."

He paused, picturing her face in his mind. He still missed her at times, but not as much now. She had been at peace, and when she had passed on it had been with a gentle smile. Her last wish had been that he go on to live a happy life—and she had told him to live without regrets for life itself was a treasure and to waste it away grieving would be a crying shame. He'd laughed at that back then even with his eyes misting over because it was just like her to say something so serious in such a lighthearted way.

"The Nakamoris run a school for magic," he continued, drawing himself back to the present. "I learned a lot from them. I had a lot of fun back then," he noted, chuckling quietly. "Their daughter, Aoko, was my best friend growing up. You saw her earlier. The other students were mostly pretty decent people too. But there was this one guy who was always coming in second. You saw him too, by the way. We'd compete all the time and he always got so angry when he lost—it was actually rather funny. Or at least it was." The smile slid off his face. "It got particularly bad these last few years. He has feelings for Aoko. I think he had the wrong idea about Aoko and me and he wanted to prove to her that he was better than me. He started challenging me to duels more and more often. Then about six months ago he went and stole one of those artifacts I mentioned earlier to give himself an edge."

Understanding touched with horror dawned on Shinichi's face. "Six months… So…that was the reason… He tried to kill you."

Kaito shrugged, affecting an air of nonchalance. "I don't think that was his intention. He looked pretty surprised himself when it happened."

Shinichi looked down at his clasped hands, feeling slightly sick to his stomach. Intentional or not, the fact that no one had come looking for Kaito meant that this person, whoever he was, hadn't told anyone what had happened. In effect, he'd left his fellow student for dead.

"You don't have to look so horrified, you know," Kaito said suddenly, drawing Shinichi's attention back up to his face. He was shocked to see that the magician was smiling.

"But—aren't you upset?"

"I'm not thrilled about it, certainly, but we can't change the past. Besides, if things hadn't turned out this way, I would never have met you."

"But—they were your friends. The rest of them probably still are. I'm sure they're worried sick about you."

"By now they probably think I'm dead or that I ran off or something."

"And you're just going to let them think that?" Shinichi demanded, turning to face him fully. "If they care about you, and I'm sure they do, then they have the right to at least know you're okay. You should go back—"

"I'm not going back," Kaito snapped. "Besides, if I go back now things will just get complicated again. If they think I'm dead, then so be it. They'll get over it."

Shinichi frowned. "Is that really what you think?"

"It's fact. People die all the time."

"But you're not dead," he pointed out, voice soft but serious. "It _is_ different. Why leave them to grieve for you if you can do something about it?"

Kaito let out a long sigh. "It's been six months already, Shinichi. That's a long time." He paused a moment. "Do you really want me to leave?"

Shinichi blinked. "What? N—no, of course not." He looked away again, unable to meet the other's intense gaze.

"Well, I don't want to go back," the magician said firmly. "It's not like they need me there or anything. And…I want to stay here. With you. If you'll let me."

Heat began its familiar rise in Shinichi's face and he swallowed, suddenly feeling equal parts nervous, confused, and—something else he couldn't quite name that was warm and bubbling but just made him more nervous than he already was. "You can stay as long as you want to."

Gentle fingers caught his chin and turned his head so that he was looking the magician in the eyes again.

"Thank you," Kaito said, pouring all the sincerity he could into those simple words. For a moment he debated with himself, then he leaned forward and kissed Shinichi. The other gasped in surprise and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his hold on the smaller teen firm but not so much so that he couldn't pull away if he wanted to.

When he drew back he examined Shinichi's now fiercely blushing face. The painter still looked surprised and maybe a tad bit confused but he didn't seem upset. That was good. He hadn't been entirely sure how Shinichi would react, and the last thing he'd wanted to do was scare him away, but it seemed he needn't have worried. Shinichi was still looking at him like he didn't know what he was supposed to be thinking, but he could work with that. Everything had to begin somewhere.

And this person… This life… He wanted this, more than anything he had ever wanted, and, for the first time since he'd fallen into the river, he felt a rush of elation—at the realization, at the wonder of this moment here beneath the sky, at the beautiful soul he wanted to hold forever, and the chance that Fate had handed him.


	4. The Choices We Make

## A Touch of Magic

#### By Alaena F.D.

* * *

####  _4: The Choices We Make_

Things changed after the kiss, but only a little. The pattern of their lives continued the way they always had—or at least the way they had been for the past six months. But the comfortable companionship they'd shared had shifted subtly. Kaito had made his intentions clear both to himself and to Shinichi that night, and he wasn't going to change his mind. He could tell Shinichi wasn't sure one way or the other, but Kaito didn't mind waiting. He could be patient when he needed to be, and he was fairly content with the way things were for the time being. In the meantime he would make sure Shinichi knew he meant to stay. And that his choice hadn't been a rash one as Shinichi seemed to think it was.

He had the feeling that Shinichi still disapproved of his decision not to inform his former household of his current mortal status, but the painter hadn't brought the matter up again since that night by the river. For his part the magician didn't intend to change his mind on that choice either. He was happy here after all. There wasn't really any point in dragging up the past.

And really, it was time he—no, _they_ —made their own past.

X

After the midsummer festival the garden fountain hybrid they had all helped to make was set up in the middle of the village where its wheels were removed and additional flower beds were planted around it. Now it stood there, its waters bubbling away with all the good cheer that a fountain should have, proudly marked by a neatly painted sign with the names of everyone who had participated in its creation engraved on it. They hadn't won first place, but they had tied for second and everyone except for Sonoko was content with that. After all, it was the first time Sorgan had won any place at the parade contest.

With the fountain's strangely weaving waters on display for everyone to see, it wasn't long before Kaito was being stopped on the street by curious villagers with all sorts of questions. It was ironic, he thought, that he'd been living in the village for nearly seven months and it was only now that they were beginning to wonder who he was.

"Hey, Shinichi."

They were at the dining table again, this time eating dinner. The painter looked up from his meal and made a questioning sound since his mouth was full.

"You know how several people have asked me to teach them how to use magic?"

Shinichi blinked and swallowed. "I remember."

"Well, I was thinking of holding a four week class for beginners covering the basics of spell work. Would you mind if I did it here?"

Shinichi hesitated a moment, frowning. "I guess not, but how many people are you expecting? This isn't a big house, you know."

"I'd say about four or five, and since it'll be really basic stuff there shouldn't be any problems. We'll go outside if we try anything that could backfire."

"I guess that's all right then."

On the first day of class however the four or five turned out to be thirteen ranging in age from a ten year old girl to an old man in his fifties. Shinichi had never had so many people in his house before and he wasn't entirely sure what to do about it. For one, no one had much room to do anything but stand around awkwardly and apologize to whomever they happened to bump into next. Eventually the whole lot had been herded outside and class was held on the bank of the river.

Cleaning up the mess that thirteen strangers trouping in then out of his house had left, Shinichi paused by the window to watch the class in session. Kaito was an extremely animated speaker and even from here he could see the magician waving his arms around in expressive circles. The students sat arrayed on the ground before him, listening with a great deal more interest than most teachers ever got from their pupils. The sight made Shinichi smile as he went back to cleaning.

It was strange, he reflected, pushing the table back into its rightful place. He had lived in this house all his life and everything in it had been there for as long as he could remember. Nothing had been changed. And yet it felt…different now. When he looked into the rooms he no longer saw the phantom of his mother's laughing face or the solemn shadow of his father as he contemplated some piece of script. Instead he recalled the impromptu lightshow Kaito had put on the other night, making illusory pictures to accompany a story he'd been telling about one particularly memorable practitioners' convention he'd attended. The old memories were still there, lingering on the edges of his mind, but they were no longer the first things he saw when he looked back.

Fifteen minutes later an enormous plume of fire shot into the sky and two of the would-be-sorcerers leaped into the river, yelling all the way.

All in all, Kaito mused as he watched his new students leave and grinned to himself, it was a successful first day.

X

It was the quiet moments that had changed the most. In those moments when there was nothing they had to do, when they could simply talk or read and enjoy each other's company. In those moments Kaito wanted nothing more than to just pull Shinichi into his arms and kiss him again, but he didn't want to push too hard. He settled instead for letting his hand linger when he handed Shinichi a plate or when he leaned over the other's shoulder to read something or look at whatever he was drawing. A quick hug whenever they had to go their separate ways.

Shinichi seemed a bit jumpy when he noticed, turning red and looking away, but as the days passed he grew more accustomed to the magician's new habits and relaxed.

"This place feels like an island, you know."

"An island?"

"Yep. Hardly anyone new ever comes here and hardly anyone ever leaves."

"That's not true. People come and go all the time."

"But they're not _new_ people. And people aren't leaving all the time. There aren't enough people here for them to be leaving all the time and this place to still exist after all. The number of people who leave permanently is actually quite limited."

"I guess that's true…"

"Don't you ever wonder what's out there?"

"I used to."

"Not anymore?"

"I…can't really imagine leaving this place. What about you though? It sounds to me like you've thought about this a lot."

"I did."

"Did? Not do?"

"I suppose you could say some things are sweeter than adventure."

A shake of the head. "Has anyone ever told you that you're strange?"

A grin. "You have no idea."

X

The summer heat was beginning to fade as autumn sought to spread her wings over the land. This particular morning found Kaito and Shinichi back in Beika, having just brought some of the latter's paintings to the small shop whose owner had asked for them. The painter, Kaito had found, gave away about as many pieces as he sold, but there were a couple dealers in town who were glad to add his work to their stock.

"How about we find somewhere around here to eat breakfast before we head back?" he suggested as they exited the shop.

They found a restaurant which claimed to have some of the 'Best food anywhere!" and got a table by the window. There weren't a lot of customers in the place at this time of day, but neither of them was going to complain about that. It was peaceful there and while the food that arrived wasn't exactly the "Best food anywhere!" it was still pretty good.

They had almost finished their meal when two men in dusty, travel worn coats came tramping into the restaurant and sat down at the table behind them. Kaito wouldn't have paid them much heed (he much preferred watching his companion) but his keen ears caught a familiar name.

"—Nakamori and his damned meddling," one man was grumbling. "What gives _them_ the right to decide what kinds of magic artifacts the rest of us get to use?"

"Damned high-minded bastards," the second man agreed, slouching down in his seat. Kaito snorted, rolling his eyes at Shinichi. He'd heard plenty of people talk that way about the Nakamori school's self appointed mission to find and contain dangerous artifacts. Most of the time those people were second rate sorcerers who thought a magical artifact would make up for their own lack of skill. The rest of the time they were the very nutcases from whom Uncle Ginzo aimed to keep those artifacts—a.k.a. the wrong hands. Anyone with any real understanding of the workings of power knew that the danger in those artifacts was too real to ignore.

"Yeah, well, they won't be doing any more of that after today," the first man laughed, sounding suddenly gleeful.

His friend gave him a rather dour look. "Yeah? Why? They all caught sick or something? Because I doubt any of 'em will be changing their tunes any time soon. And unfortunately for the rest of us they've got the most talented sorcerers in these parts on their side."

"They may have talent, but that's not gonna help 'em. You see," he lowered his voice, leaning forward with a conspiratorial grin, "I heard from my brother that his master came up with a new technique. A binding that traps all of a practitioner's power inside them so they can't cast spells."

"Really? Is that even possible?"

"Yep. He showed it to me yesterday."

"Okay, so let's say I believe you," his friend relented. "What does that have to do with that Nakamori's school?"

"Well, they're going over there today, left just a bit ago in fact," he replied, voice growing even quieter and forcing Kaito to turn his head slightly in order to hear better. Across the table he could see that Shinichi's eyes had gone wide in realization. "All they have to do is get rid of those self righteous bastards and then we'll have access to all that stuff they've got tucked away in that school."

"Sounds risky to me."

"Not with that binding. They won't stand a chance. And as long as none of 'em get away no one will ever know what happened."

"It certainly would make the rest of our lives easier. You know, some of those artifacts are worth a hell of a lot of money…"

Kaito stood up abruptly, glancing across the table to see that Shinichi had done the same. They left the money for their meal on the table and slipped outside. The morning air didn't feel quite as crisp as it had before they'd gone inside, Kaito noted a tad bitterly. And it had been such a promising day too.

"They keep messenger birds at the post office, right?" he asked, turning to Shinichi. "Which way?"

"Do you think that'll be enough?"

"It should be." The magician's hands clenched reflexively at his sides as his eyes narrowed in thought. "No one's ever created a binding like the one they mentioned that couldn't be broken yet, and the old man's no slouch. He's got a lot of tricks up his sleeves to have lived this long with so many enemies."

"But what about the rest of the students?"

"The advanced students should be able to handle it. If it was a seal that would be a bit different, though even then there should be ways around it. But if they really did come up with a new spell…" He paused, mind racing and cursing fate for suddenly dropping this into his lap. On the one hand truly new spells were rare. Most of the time people came up with 'new' spells only to find that they'd rediscovered an old one. On top of that spells aimed at similar results often had similar weaves by default. Being well aware that he had enemies, Uncle Ginzo had naturally studied up on anti-magic bindings. They wouldn't be able to do more than inconvenience him. On the other hand, if this spell really was new and not just piggybacking off of old ideas, it could take even an experienced sorcerer a lot of time to figure out how to unravel it.

"Give me the address. I'll go to the post office. There's a livery stable on the north side of town. You can borrow a horse from them."

"Right. Here." A paper appeared out of thin air in the painter's hand as the magician let out a frustrated breath and turned, then hesitated and glanced back at Shinichi.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked, frowning. "They weren't talking about just locking up people's powers in there. If you don't go now, you might not make it in time—they might already _be_ there—and you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Didn't you tell me the purpose of magic was to protect life?"

"I…" Letting out a short puff of air, Kaito turned all the way back around and placed his hands on Shinichi's shoulders, staring him straight in the eyes. "I'll be back."

The other's gaze softened but he shook his head, gently removing Kaito's hands from his shoulders. "You're running out of time."

Kaito frowned, part of him wanting to stay and argue—though what about he wasn't entirely sure. He just knew this felt a lot more like a goodbye than it had any right to. But Shinichi had already set off at a run and he had no choice but to go the other way.

Of all the times for something like this to happen, why did it have to be now?


	5. This Peace of Mine

## A Touch of Magic

#### By Alaena F.D.

* * *

####  _5: This Peace of Mine_

He saw the barrier long before he saw the school. It shimmered like a glass dome over the entire school complex (so the messenger bird probably hadn't gotten through). Meant to keep any intruders at bay, he didn't need his father's monocle to see it. But the monocle told him that it had been constructed by five different sorcerers, all fairly well trained. Although it seemed they hadn't quite mastered group spell casting yet. Instead of being a seamless blend, they had pieced their powers together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Which meant all he had to do was apply some pressure at the right points. He grinned. This was far too easy.

X

The journey back to Sorgan was quiet without Kaito. He'd hitched a ride on a passing wagon with a rather quiet farmer. The whole way home he'd found his thoughts filled with the magician, wondering if he'd gotten back in time—praying that he had and that he would be all right. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to finally go home after so long and find his friends and family hurt or worse. No one deserved that kind of horror. And it angered him to think that anyone could be so arrogant or so cruel as to believe they had the right to inflict such fates upon others for a mere handful of power (not that it would be right for any reason, but such selfish aims he couldn't even begin to understand).

Thanking the wagon's owner as they came to a stop where the path to Sorgan branched away from the main road, he climbed off and walked along the river until the familiar village roofs came into sight.

Debating what to make for lunch, he came up short when he saw the two men in his yard. One was a rather bony man with a grim face who was walking along the perimeter of the yard. Even as Shinichi approached he disappeared around the corner of the house, head bent and turning from side to side like someone searching for something. The other intruder however was someone he recognized.

"Why are you here, Toma?" he demanded.

"That's Lord Toma to you," came the disdainful response as the other's gaze glanced over his shoulder before focusing on his face. "So where's that outsider friend of yours?"

"I do not see how that is any concern of yours."

"Oh really?" A sly smile played around Toma's mouth. "I just thought you might wish to inform him that he will need to find lodgings elsewhere from now on. You see, some friends of my father's have recently decided that they would like to spend some time in the countryside. This village has no inn, but luckily we remembered we still had this house here. It isn't really big enough for so many guests, so I'm afraid your friend will have to go."

"No."

One thin eyebrow rose. "What?"

"I said no, I am not going to play host to whoever these people are just because you say so."

"And yet you let ill mannered outsiders reside in this house."

"He was _injured_."

"I believe that was a rather long time ago. Besides, you do remember you're only living here because we let you borrow it on our good graces, so as I see it you can either _play host_ , as you put it, or leave. Unless, of course, you want to try and buy the place—oh, but you can't really do that, can you?" He paused, obviously enjoying himself. "But tell you what. I'm in a generous mood today. If you get down on your knees and beg me I might consider giving you that servant job. Servants quarters are better than being out on the street, no? Or you can just be a good host. It's up to you."

"Give me ten minutes to pack. I'll be gone in fifteen."

Green eyes blinked, taken aback. "What? But—where can you go?"

"I don't see how that's any of your concern," Shinichi replied, walking past the gaping noble and into the house. He was so angry he was actually finding it difficult to breathe. His heart was pounding in his ears but he refused to give the man the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him.

X

The sight that greeted Kaito's eyes as he stepped through the shattered gates into the Nakamoris' home was pure chaos. The head of the house was standing in the middle of it all, his face livid and scowling with his equally enraged daughter at his side. Scattered all around him were his students, many clutching injuries, some out cold, with only a handful as yet untouched. The smell of ozone and burning things was thick in the air through which crackles of power still danced. The intruders however were mostly unharmed but for the trace of ash on their clothes. There were about ten of them, all dressed in green cloaks.

Even as Kaito arrived, he saw spell fire burst to life in the hands of three of the intruders, leaping at their command towards the remaining opposition.

Nakamori Ginzo grabbed his daughter and turned to shield her from the attack but the brilliant, blue flames splashed against an invisible barrier before it could reach them.

"Hey, who did that?" the tallest of the intruders exclaimed at the same time five of his companions' heads turned.

"The barrier's gone!" one of the five cried out, her voice rough with shock.

"You can't exactly expect such patchy work to keep people out," Kaito drawled, stepping fully into the courtyard. He was instantly the attention of everyone still able to pay attention to anything. Under other circumstances, he would have been reveling in it, but now wasn't the time (not that he couldn't enjoy it a little. He would treasure the sight of their shocked faces for years to come).

"K—Kaito!" Aoko gasped, looking around her father at the newcomer standing at the courtyard entrance.

He waved at her. The motion turned into something much more decisive as three of the cloaked intruders simultaneously hurled three different spells at him.

The spells flowed together with Kaito's gesturing hand. They gathered into a tight little sphere of blinding yellow light hovering between his palms. He grinned at the spell casters who were gaping in open shock at him.

"That's a rather rude way to say hello," he remarked, bouncing the ball of power up and down before dividing it into ten smaller spheres and beginning to juggle them. "Here, why don't I give these back to you and you can try again?"

A moment later all ten balls shot back towards the green-cloaked sorcerers. Kaito counted six who were able to bring up shields in time. The other four wound up painfully on their rears where they were instantly pounced upon by the students they had almost forgotten about. Angry yells once again filled the air but Kaito ignored them, focusing his attention on executing the plan he'd hatched on his way here.

He had spent the past minute or two studying the invading force through his monocle. The flow of energy was strong in them and the center of that energy was fairly easy to find, especially when they were in the process of casting. Reaching out with his mind as everyone else in the courtyard tried to come to grips with the situation, he grabbed those centers and twisted.

Six shields flickered and vanished. One of the downed invaders shrieked in outrage as the flames attempting to fry the three students holding him down went out. The last three simply went limp with shock.

It was the tall one who, once again, found his voice first. "Wha—what did you do to us?"

Kaito's smirk widened as he held up his hands to show that they were both empty. "Nothing really. I've just sealed off your powers. Think about it as a taste of your medicine, only mine is probably a mite more bitter than yours." And the beauty of it was that the seals were being powered by their own magic. Kaito smiled inwardly. It was a neat little trick he'd never gotten around to trying out before. Bindings, while rare, was something Nakamori had made sure all his students studied, but Kaito had only ever read about actual seals and he'd always wanted to try out the theory. Rather than simply preventing power from leaving the body, they actually cut off a person's ability to reach their own magic, making them impossible to break without outside help. "Well, I suppose you might be able to change that if you find a strong enough magician willing to help you, but somehow I doubt there're going to be any of those in prison."

"What? You—you can't do that!"

The magician's expression grew grim and the nearest of the no-longer-sorcerers took several involuntary steps away, nearly tripping over their own feet to get away. "I just did."

For a long moment silence reigned over the courtyard. It was Nakamori Ginzo who finally broke it.

"Get them out of here!" he ordered, turning to the students who hadn't been injured. "Tell the authorities what happened and let them deal with these disgraces."

The courtyard came back to life as the students scrambled to do as instructed. Two of the faster runners were dispatched to head to the town on the other side of the river. Several of the green-cloaked invaders tried to make a run for it but they were pursued and tackled to the ground before being hauled over to join their companions. Those who had suffered more minor injuries ran to the severely injured and set about tending to their wounds. As they did so Nakamori Aoko pulled herself out of her father's protective grip.

"Kaito!" There were tears in her eyes as she ran up to him. "You're alive! When you didn't come home or send word or anything we—we all thought…" She cut herself off, visibly struggling to bring her emotions back under control.

Looking into her face, he could see the shadows that anxiety had cast over her features. He had expected her to yell at him like she usually did whenever he did something she thought was stupid or wrong, but instead she stood there and stared at him like someone who feared that any movement might shatter the illusion. A wave of guilt washed over him at the realization of just how worried she had really been. Shinichi had been right, he thought a bit glumly, he should have at least sent word. It had been selfish of him to think that he could just throw away the past because he wanted to.

"I'm sorry Aoko," he said finally, and he could see her start both at his voice and the apology (apologizing had never been something he did often, or at least not with such sincerity). "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Well that's good to know," Nakamori Ginzo said gruffly, walking up to stand beside his daughter and place a soothing hand on her shoulder. "But where have you _been_? And why the hell didn't you let us know? If you're going to run off you should at least give me a heads up. I still have your parents to report to in the next life you know."

"Can I give you that heads up now?" the magician inquired, slipping easily back into the familiar, joking tones.

The older man frowned slightly, studying his face. "This isn't one of your jokes, is it boy?"

Kaito let the smile slip from his face, holding the older man's gaze. "No."

"I see." Letting out a long sigh, Nakamori nodded. "Well then, we'll need to know how you got here right on time and what you knew so we can report that to the authorities. As for the rest…don't forget to write this time."

The magician blinked, not quite believing his ears. "What?"

"I'm surprised you stayed as long as you did. But keep in mind boy, I expect to hear from you at least every other month. Understood?"

Kaito blinked again then grinned. "I suppose if you insist, I can hardly refuse."

Nakamori snorted, grumbled something under his breath, and went to see to his students.

"That last bit was supposed to be a thank you," Aoko said once the man was gone. Then she frowned slightly, turning back to the wild-haired magician. "Kaito… Are…are you really leaving?"

He nodded, watching her carefully. She didn't look very happy at the answer, but she accepted it.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me where you were?" she demanded, her tone growing much more stern.

He laughed. "That's better. You were starting to scare me there with that quiet act."

She scowled. "I'm trying to be serious here!"

"Okay, okay, no need to get angry, sheesh. You haven't changed one bit."

"And apparently neither have you. So where've you been?"

"A village not too far from here. Sorgan. You might have heard of it."

She blinked in surprise. "Really? I thought for sure you'd have gone farther than that."

"Well…I suppose you could say I met someone interesting."

"Oh." She glanced away then back at him with serious eyes. "You know, it doesn't matter where you are, or what you decide to do in the future, we'll always be your family. So just—just remember that, okay?"

Stepping forward, he gave her a quick hug. "I will."

Later, as he was on his way out trailing goodbyes and carrying a rather hefty pack pressed upon him by the Nakamoris and the students who had known him, he spotted a blond teen with his arm in a sling standing in the shadows by the gate. Ah, he'd wondered where Hakuba was.

"You know, I never figured you for the storytelling type," he mused just loud enough for the blonde to hear him.

Hakuba flinched, his mouth pressing together into a thin line. "I'm…sorry," he said rather stiffly, staring hard at a point over Kaito's shoulder.

"And you'll be sorrier if I ever hear that you did something that stupid again," the magician agreed. It probably wasn't the nicest thing to say to someone giving an apology, he knew, but some lessons needed teeth. Frankly he didn't care what the blonde wanted to do with himself in the future (he didn't have time for fools), but if the guy was going to be staying with the magician's (surrogate) family then Kaito was damned well going to make sure that he'd learned from his mistakes.

The blonde didn't say anything to his claim, so Kaito bid him a cheerily chilly farewell and continued on his way.

X

Sitting on the riverbank just far enough downstream to be out of sight of the village, Shinichi watched the waters shimmer with the light of the late evening sun. He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there. Hours? It felt like years.

Once the anger at Toma had worn off he had found himself feeling a bit lost. After all, he really didn't have anywhere to go. This place had been his home for all his life and he'd never been anywhere else, not really. Hadn't wanted to. Everything and everyone he knew were right here.

Then again there wasn't really any pressing reason to stay either. Maybe a change of scenery wouldn't be so bad.

But what about Kaito? If the magician did come back, he…wanted to be here. Or at least be able to let him know what had happened. Then again, if Kaito had been able to make things right with the people he'd left behind (which Shinichi hoped he had), then he might have decided to go home after all. In which case there wouldn't be much point in waiting.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Shinichi picked up a pebble and tossed it into the river, watching as the running waters swallowed it without a trace.

So there he'd sat all this time, the same questions chasing themselves through his head, wishing he could just go home and knowing that that was the one thing he couldn't do now.

He'd gone to see Ran earlier to let her know he would be leaving. She had been rather the opposite of thrilled to hear what had happened and she'd been all for going to her mother over the matter, but he'd told her not to bother. He was tired of the constant back and forth of the issue. Getting out from under Toma's thumb actually sounded very appealing. But maybe he'd been a bit rash about that. There must have been a better way to handle things.

He picked up another pebble and threw it after its fellow. It too disappeared without a trace.

He started as a hand appeared in his field of vision. He hadn't heard or felt anyone coming. The hand gave a snap and a blink later the hand was holding a white rose.

He twisted around, gaze following the arm up to a familiar, grinning face.

"K—Kaito," he stammered, surprise and confusion vying for possession of his expression. "What are you doing here?"

The magician's eyebrows rose. "I did say I'd be back, didn't I?"

Blue eyes turned back to the river, watching as the sunlight danced in glimmering flakes over the water. His heart had begun to beat a little faster but he did his best to ignore it. "You…didn't have to…"

There was the shift of cloth as the magician sat down beside him. When a hand took his and pressed the rose into it, he glanced around and was startled to find himself almost nose to nose with Kaito. His instinctive reaction was to jerk backward but he was caught by the intensity in the magician's gaze.

"I wanted to."

"But…" He gestured a little helplessly at the traveling pack sitting neglected a little farther up the bank. "I—I can't stay here anymore…"

Kaito nodded slowly. He'd gone to the house first and seen the inspector who'd been hired to check the place over and he'd had a short talk with Ran who'd given him the story. It was probably a little petty of him, but he hadn't been able to resist leaving a spell or three for the lord's brat before leaving. The man wasn't going to enjoy his next visit to that house. But Shinichi probably didn't need to hear about that right now.

Reaching over, he pulled Shinichi to him as he'd been wanting to do all this time. The smaller boy tensed slightly but didn't pull away.

"So where are we going?" the magician asked instead.

Shinichi looked down. "I don't know…"

"Well, I've always wanted to see more of this world. We could just travel for a while and see where it goes from there."

Shinichi blinked slowly then laughed. It was a rather quiet laugh but it was real and full of relief. "That sounds good."

"It's settled then!" Kaito declared. He smiled when Shinichi finally relaxed completely in his arms. Tilting the other's face towards him, he caught and held those bright, blue eyes. This time when he brought their lips together, Shinichi closed his eyes and leaned into him, and Kaito could feel himself beginning to grin into the kiss. He just couldn't help it. It was, he realized, the first time in a long time that he had had no shadows weighing on his mind. So this was peace… He could get used to this.


End file.
